MEET THE MAKER

Emerita Baik’s art is informed by her experience living between the cultures of New Zealand and Korea

Emerita Baik’s art draws on New Zealand and Korean cultures.

The courage of her Korean mother when moving to New Zealand without knowing how to speak English, then raising three children alone, provides constant inspiration for Wellington-based sculptor Emerita Baik, who wants her art to express how diversity can be beautiful and benefit relationships, communities and society. “Many migrants face difficult challenges within their everyday lives that are often overlooked,” she explains. “I believe creating awareness of those experiences is vital for migrants to be integrated within society.” Emerita, who studied at Central Saint Martins in London and Massey University in Wellington, enjoys experimenting with fabric, silicone moulding and casting polyurethane. “Exploring these materials and their contradicting relationships to articulate ideas relating to Korean migrant experiences interests me,” she says. “Fabric as a material can mean something very personal for everyone.”

The artist’s latest sculptures Head of a camel, Eyes of a rabbit and Nose of a pig are her first that merge polyurethane and fabric. Emerita is represented by Robert Heald Gallery in Wellington and is currently developing a new body of work exploring the Korean mythical creature Dokkaebi. Visit instagram.com/emeritax.